Greenwich school board will not renew contract of superintendent caught on tape insulting parents

Staff photo by Tim HawkGreenwich Township Interim Superintendent Vincent Tarantino addresses the audience at the April 23 reorganization meeting. Tarantino's contract will not be renewed after June 30.

GREENWICH TWP. — Vincent Tarantino’s position as interim superintendent will end this school year.

In the recording released two weeks ago via YouTube, Tarantino and two male board members — James Worrell and Alan Boultinghouse — are overheard name-calling, threatening and bashing members of the community, the township’s Democratic party and other members of the board.

“I apologize to my board and the fine community of Greenwich,” Tarantino said after the tape was released. “That was said in the heat of the moment after a very contentious board meeting, and I apologize for any negative publicity I might bring.”

On Monday, he reiterated that sentiment, apologizing to residents Duane Sarmiento and Bryan Bass-Riley, as well as former board member Susan Vernacchio and the Democratic Party.

Sarmiento did not accept Tarantino’s apology.

“If I was half the man I was five years ago — let me tell you something — we’d be handling this in a different way,” he told the superintendent.

Sarmiento said he was trying to figure out how he could file a formal complaint against Tarantino but could find no answers.

“How he is not suspended pending termination from conduct unbecoming is beyond me,” he said.

Bass-Riley, whose child Tarantino threatened to send a truant officer after, said he reported the issue to the United States Department of Education. The concerned father said he believed sharing a student’s attendance record could be illegal.

“Mr. Tarantino, I appreciate your apology and your willingness to take responsibility for your actions,” he said. “Speaking for myself, I am working at forgiving you. But, forgiveness does not mean that one is freed from the consequences of his or her actions.”

Following a closed session meeting, the board voted not to renew Tarantino’s contract.